Hey Jealousy
by Pixiestick-cc
Summary: In which Irma discovers April's "other" secret and devises a way to help her win the guy or uh ... turtle. tmnt 2012


**Author's Note**: I don't think this story would have been written if not for Adoradork. She's writing the wonderful Donnie/April fic _Walls_, which contains a chapter involving toy dinosaurs (go read the fic! It's in my fav. stories if you want easy access to it) Then she wrote a drabble about Irma almost finding out about the turtles. These two fics blended in my head and I became inspired to write _Hey Jealousy_. This takes place in an AU where Irma has recently met the turtles and become their friend. Right now I'll lable this as a oneshot, but if there is enough interest I may write more.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own tmnt, netflix, or any other pop culture reference mentioned in this fic. I am simply writing this for my own enjoyment and hopefully yours as well.

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Irma walked a few steps ahead of me, the sound of her voice reaching my ears in a constant flow of words I was only half listening to. I wasn't trying to be rude. I mean, on a normal day it wasn't strange that I would zone out as my friend went on and on about something I really couldn't relate with. I assumed she knew I did this. How many times during school did I give her a "Yeah, sure," and wave my hand flippantly? Too many and they were always followed by Irma giving me a glum look, before shrugging off my ambivalence. I was used to it being the natural flow of our relationship. That didn't mean we had nothing in common, just that Irma could sometimes get passionate about things that went over my head. Everyone had that one thing they knew entirely too much about and given the opportunity would wax eloquently about it for hours. Irma just had more than one … a whole lot more.

So when my friend noticed how distracted I was, it came as surprise when she didn't just shrug it off, but instead stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to confront me. Irma's transition from walking to stopping happened so fast that I nearly stumbled into her. "You've been ignoring me. What's wrong?" Her voice wasn't accusatory, more concerned, like I was a problem she had to figure out.

My eyebrows pushed together as the confusion I felt expressed itself on my face. "Nothing's wrong, except you almost knocked into me." Stepping sideways, I moved out of Irma's way and began walking down the sidewalk again, but in my hurry to get away from Irma's questioning stare, I ran smack dab into a random pedestrian. The smell of stale cigarettes assaulted my nose as my face smooshed up against the cotton of his shirt. Shocked at our sudden impact, I glanced up to see him peering down at me angrily.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, dumb girl!"

I darted out of his way, but feeling angry about how he'd responded to something that was obviously an accident, I turned around and retorted, "Yeah, well, you're an asshole." I was shaking my fist at him, but his back was already to me and he didn't bother turning around to acknowledge my insult … that was if he'd even heard it. To be honest I hoped he hadn't. It wasn't my best comeback … pretty basic, and a little off color for me. My vocabulary usually strayed away from words I could get in trouble for saying in front of Dad. That was more of Casey's thing.

Letting go of my anger, I twirled back in the direction I had originally been heading, but let out a little noise of surprise when I saw Irma standing right in front of me. She was so close that the tips of my boots were pressed up against hers. Usually my _ability _alerted me when others were around. It was especially good at detecting the emotions and energies of those I was closest with, so Irma standing near me shouldn't have been a surprise at all. Neither should that jerk guy I'd run into.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. Maybe Irma was right. Maybe something was wrong and I wasn't just ignoring her, because I was going along with how things usually went with us. What had she even been talking about anyway before I'd zoned out? I huffed to myself, remembering she'd been referencing a conversation her and Donnie had, something dealing with the hunting patterns of certain dinosaurs. It was from earlier in the evening when we were in his workshop and feeling excluded from their discussion I'd stupidly blurted out, "Hey, remember how Ross from _Friends_ was so obsessed with dinosaurs?"

I didn't know a thing about dinosaurs besides the basics that were taught in school, but it wasn't the same for Irma and Donnie. I couldn't even remember how the subject had been brought up. All I knew was that as soon as it had been, the two began acting like they were paleontologists. The pang of feeling ignored had pushed against my chest and to include myself I thought of the closest thing I could say that related to their conversation. Not close enough apparently, because both had turned to look at me afterward like I'd grown a second head or something … which wasn't as farfetched an idea as it sounded considering all the mutagen lying around New York. "You know … Ross Gellar from the TV show _Friends_?" I tried to get them to remember and before I knew it I'd begun singing the theme song. "_I'll be there for you when the rain starts to fall _…?" I let the words trail into a whisper on my lips, realizing too late how idiotic I sounded. I was just glad there hadn't been an umbrella laying around or I might have started improvising the dance moves from the TV show's opening.

"Oh, yeah. I know. You just caught me off guard," Donnie said and I could sense he was trying to rescue me from the embarrassment written on my face. "If you want to find Mikey, I'm pretty sure he has a couple of VHS tapes with some episodes recorded on it. He used to have a crush on the blonde one. Pheebo? Pheobus?"

"Phoebe," I corrected in a flat voice.

"Yeah, that's the one." Donnie smiled at me, but I didn't return the expression.

"Okay well, I guess I'll go find him," I mumbled and then left the room, the sound of Irma and Donnie's conversation picking up again as I slid the door shut.

Maybe this exclusion from their conversation was what was bothering me? But the thought of admitting that to Irma made my body fill with embarrassment. It wasn't like me to get upset over trivial things like no longer being the main human Donnie wanted to talk with. The J word popped in my head briefly, but I ignored it gnawing at my brain. There was no way I was jealous. Noooo way.

"Hey, April. Are you okay?" Irma, still standing close, pulled me back to the present with her question.

"Yeah, sure. Let's just get back to my apartment." My voice wasn't exactly nice and I wondered why being left out bothered me so much. Even so, I didn't think too deeply into it and just moved out of her way in order to walk again.

"I don't think I've ever heard you call someone an asshole before." Irma brushed off my rudeness to her, but decided to mention the other rude thing I'd done. "You must really be upset about something. I remember when you told Casey to shove it up his ass before, but you said it as a joke, because he called you princess that one time."

She was walking at my side now and I glanced over at her. "Yeah, I don't know. He deserved it. That guy was just mean for no reason."

Which wasn't exactly new to me … I lived in New York City. People were mean all the time. On the street, down in the subway, in a taxi … it didn't matter where I was, because if I was out at all in public then there'd likely be some sort of interaction with a not so nice person saying a not so nice thing.

Irma, who lived in the same city I did and dealt with the same issues, replied, "Yeah, it happens. We're in New York."

She had pretty much repeated my inner monologue and in response I shrugged, before saying, "I guess I'm just not in the mood to deal with shitty attitudes today."

I saw Irma's eyes grow wide from behind her glasses and once the shock wore off her face, she looked down briefly at her feet. "Um April…" Her tone was gentle when she looked back up at me and I had to shake off the feeling that she was trying to patronize me. "If you're not up for me staying the night then I can just head home from here. We've already hung out today with the guys and I'm sure you just want your space. Plus I've been putting off my anatomy paper that's due next week."

She was lying about the paper. I knew, because Irma never let anything slide when it came to schoolwork. My friend was just trying to let me off the hook without making it seem like my grumpiness was the real reason. Irma failed though, because I saw through her attempt and now I felt guilty as hell. I knew I was being mean for a dumb reason and she didn't deserve that at all. I had such a very small list of friends and I didn't want to destroy one of those friendships, especially over something so stupid.

I stopped walking and placed a hand on Irma's shoulder, so that she would come to a halt too. "Irma, you're staying the night tonight, so don't try and weasel your way out of some Netflix marathoning and frozen pizza to work on this paper you and I both know was finished the day after it was assigned." I was teasing her to try and lighten the mood around us, but I wasn't sure it worked, because Irma raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, of course. We planned a sleepover and that's going to happen. I'm sorry if I've been coming across as moody. You're right. Something _is_ bothering me, but your company will probably fix that." I was still too embarrassed to admit the reason behind my irritability, but I hoped I could fix the problem on my own without having to involve Irma. The fact that her and Donnie had lots in common and would occasionally geek out over things shouldn't have bothered me. I should have been glad that I had Irma to share with him, because she was a cool girl. Besides, it was unfair that I thought I could always monopolized his time. I'd just have to get used to sharing Donnie's attention with another girl.

Right on cue though, Irma asked, "Are you going to tell me what the thing bothering you is?"

"No," I replied, smiling up at her with an overenthusiastic grin and Irma snorted.

"Well, might I suggest marathoning a comedy to lighten your mood … maybe something with a theme song that goes, _I'll be there for youuuuu …"_

I reached up and placed a hand over her mouth before she could continue to make fun of me. "I don't think Netflix has that show."

Irma laughed from behind my fingers and I found myself chuckling too. "Nice impression of me though. Got my dorky side down cold," I said while removing my hand.

Irma pretended to curtsey at my compliment which made me laugh even louder. She was the last person I would ever expect to be considered dainty. I looked down then after catching a glance of the color purple left on my palm from Irma's lips. "Please, tell me this isn't some expensive industrial strength lipstick that only comes off with paint thinner."

"Soap and water. My lipstick's a cheap drugstore brand," she replied.

"Good," I shook my hand in front of her face, "because I've got Irma germs to wash off now." I made a face and my friend shoved me playfully.

"Well, good for you your apartment isn't too far away. Close enough to get those cooties washed away before you become infected."

We both laughed and then made a sprint for the building I lived in with my dad. He wasn't home though, so I had to carefully open the street entrance and also our apartment door without smearing Irma's lipstick on any handles. It wasn't an easy task, but I managed to accomplish it and once inside the apartment, I went straight to the bathroom to wash my hands. Irma joined me to reapply her lipstick using the mirror above the sink. "Now at least I know what it will look like when I finally get kissed and he ends up being a sloppy kisser," Irma joked.

"Well, if it's worth anything, my hand thoroughly enjoyed its time making out with you," I teased back and then had to splash water at Irma when she came at me with a kissy face.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Don't make my mascara run. Unless you want to eat dinner with a raccoon."

I opened my mouth to respond with a joke at Irma's expense, but jumped when a sudden noise rang out from somewhere outside of the bathroom. "What is that?" Irma asked and I shrugged my shoulders.

On closer inspection we realized the sound was coming from the backpack Irma had dropped to the floor after we entered the apartment. The repetitive jingle reminded me of a generic ringtone someone's parent might have, although I knew it wasn't Irma's … unless she had changed it from that one song by that one screamo band I hated. Irma picked the bag up and put her hand inside to fish out whatever was making the noise. I came up behind her just as she held up a T-Phone for me to see.

"A T-Phone," I said, my voice low to mask the stupid pang of jealousy in my chest that was resurfacing. I knew it wasn't my phone, because at that moment mine was safe in my back pocket.

"A what?" Irma asked, bringing the device up close to her eyes to better investigate.

"It' a T-Phone. The guys use it to communicate. I guess you get one now too." My tone was flat. I was trying my hardest to not let that stupid J word take over, but I couldn't stop it from bubbling up and to avoid a situation where I might become a jerk again, I walked towards the kitchen saying, "You should answer it."

"Hello?" I heard Irma say and then laugh at whatever response she received on the other end. From eavesdropping the one sided conversation I gathered she was talking to Donnie, because Irma went right back into their dinosaur conversation.

_Ugh. What's so great about stupid dinosaurs that Donnie had to give her a T-Phone just so he could keep talking to her about it?_

I continued to mentally grumble all through pulling the pizza from the freezer and placing it in the oven. When Irma eventually finished her conversation, she came running into the kitchen where I stood learning over the stove. "That was Donnie. I got my own special phone. I guess I really am part of the group now."

"Good for you," I said and instantly wanted to kick myself, because my words came out dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah, it's cool isn't it? I only met everyone a week ago and already they trust me."

"Yeah, especially Donnie." I pushed away from the stove and leaned my back against the sink, crossing my arms across my chest in the process. "I sure hope he talked with the others about it first before slipping that phone into your bag. He probably should have made sure everyone else was on board. Maybe he acted too soon."

Irma briefly pulled in her bottom lip to bite down on, before releasing it to say, "Why wouldn't everyone else be on board?"

She looked hurt and I emotionally recoiled from my reaction to Irma and Donnie's friendship. I was the absolute worst. "Sorry, I don't know why I said that," I answered and then left the kitchen to go load Netflix, hoping Irma wouldn't push the topic.

No luck. She followed me into the tiny living room where the TV was kept. "Why are you being weird again? Are you upset, because of something I did?"

Fumbling with the remote, I tried to get our entertainment loaded while agonizing over what to say. I was too embarrassed to tell Irma the real reason I was cranky … that I thought I might have feelings for Donnie and was jealous of her quick friendship with him. I would have rather said something to make her forget I'd been rude, but my stupid brain couldn't produce a single thing for me to say besides the truth. I sighed heavily. "Trust me. You don't want to know. It's dumb and I need to just … I think … okay, don't judge me, but I think I might like Donnie and I'm jealous that you seem to have more in common with him than me. You guys keep talking about dinosaurs and it's stupid … not that you are talking about it, but that I feel left out. That's the stupid part. I'm stupid."

Irma sent me a sideways glance, a look that I interpreted as non-judgmental, but still confused at my sudden admission. I waited in agonizing anticipation for her to respond, but instead of saying anything she left the room without a word and then came back a second later with her bag. "Mind if I go in your room to change into something more comfortable?"

"Yeah, sure," I replied and Irma disappeared behind my bedroom door without mentioning the fact that I'd just exposed a very vulnerable part about myself to her.

Groaning miserably, I sat myself down on the couch and tried to distract myself with some TV. Eventually enough time passed while Irma was gone that our pizza finished and I'd gotten through one episode of some lame comedy that hadn't made me laugh once. With how long she was gone and taking into account how I'd treated her, I half wondered if Irma had used the fire escape to get away from me. I couldn't blame her if she had. "Um, Irma … food's done. Can I come in?" I asked after knocking on my bedroom door to see if she was still alive. In reply my friend opened the door marginally and I saw that she was still wearing her plaid skirt and black tank top from before. "Hey, I thought you were changing."

"I was, but something came up. I have to get going."

My heart plummeted into my stomach. I had run her off with my rudeness … or confession. Telling someone you might kinda sorta like a mutant turtle could be a lot to take in too. An apology formed on my tongue, but I only got a few worlds into it before Irma shook her head and leaned into me, her voice just a whisper in my ear. "Why didn't you just tell me from the start that you had a crush on Donnie?"

"Because I didn't realize that I did until like an hour ago," I admitted, wondering why my friend felt the need to whisper.

Irma pulled back and opening my door fully, she showcased Donnie entering through my window, a movie in his hand. "Hey April, Irma thought you might want to watch _Jurassic Park_. I mean the plot has so many holes in it … scientifically speaking, but it's entertaining enough for science fiction. Yeah, fiction being the key word," he snorted derisively.

I suddenly had a mini panic attack wondering exactly what Irma had told Donnie to get him to come over. My friend must have guessed the question inside my head, because she smiled and mouthed, "I didn't say anything." Then raising her voice to include Donnie in the conversation Irma said, "Alright, you two kids have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do and don't do anything I would do, like over-analyze the illogical parts to the movie. April hates that." Irma sent Donnie a pointed look.

"What?" He held up his hands. "I don't do that."

We both rolled our eyes at him, but he ignored us, instead pushing past our bodies as he headed in the direction of the kitchen. "Is that pizza I smell?"

"Just took it out. Help yourself," I answered, but Donnie hadn't even waited for my reply. He was already digging in.

When it was apparent that the ninja was otherwise occupied, I turned back to Irma and said, "You don't have to go you know."

"Sure I do. Call it a favor. I'm your little matchmaking fairy." Irma fluttered her eyelashes at me and I scoffed.

"Yeah, just don't kiss me with those purple lips again."

Irma smirked and then bent down to grasp her backpack. "Ahh well, maybe my lips won't be the only ones getting any action from April O'Neil tonight. Although, I hope Donnie gets farther than just your hand."

"Shut up," I said, feeling my face flushing.

"What?" Donnie asked from the kitchen.

"Nothing," I called back while glowering at Irma simultaneously. She just laughed in response and then passing Donnie in the kitchen, said goodbye to him, before exiting the apartment.

"Too bad Irma had to leave, but it's nice that I'm just hanging out with you. I feel like it's been awhile since that's happened," Donnie said, coming up to stand next to me holding a plate that looked like it had every slice of pizza on it.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Irma's cool, but so are you."

I thought I saw a faint blush cross his cheeks and he made a noise that sounded like a strangled laugh. Yeah, I'd heard that embarrassed sound from him plenty of times before. "Hey, you left some of that for me didn't you?" I asked.

"What, you haven't eaten yet?" He replied with a guilty look on his face.

"No, why would you think that? The pizza wasn't even cut." I was exasperated. "Donnie, you're such a pig."

In a fast move, he rushed into the kitchen and came back out with a plate filled with pizza for me. "That's better," I playfully smiled and Donnie gave me another nervous laugh.

"Alright, let's go watch _Jurassic Park_," I suggested and the two of us settled on the couch next to each other.

About halfway through the movie, at a point when I was covering my eyes and learning into Donnie, I heard my T-Phone ring from my back pocket. Stunned, I looked up at the turtle next to me, who shrugged his shoulders. "It's not me obviously," he replied.

Taking the communication device out, I opened it and said, "Hello?"

"Hey, April. Did you know I can call you on this? I bet you didn't," Irma's voice rang in my ear.

"No, I didn't. Are you testing the phone out or something?" I asked and Donnie looked over at me, but I waved my hand for him to continue watching the movie. "It's just Irma. I'll be back in a sec."

I left the room and walked into the kitchen where I knew if I kept my voice low, Donnie wouldn't hear me. "So have you kissed him yet?" Irma asked and I rolled my eyes.

"No, and I'm not going to tell you something like that over the T-phone. Who knows if someone might be listening in," I replied.

"Well, can you call me on your house phone if you guys do end up kissing?" Irma pleaded.

"Hey, just 'cause you set up this sort of date doesn't give you the right to know everything that happens on it," I explained.

"Like hell it doesn't. I expect a full report by Monday, O'Neil!" Irma teased and I laughed.

"Okay, I'll write that up, 100 words double spaced."

Irma chuckled into the phone, "Well, if it's only 100 words, then I'm not expecting it to have been a very good date."

"Goodnight, Irma," I said, my voice sounding vaguely annoyed.

"Goodnight," she replied in a voice that was supposed to be sensual, but came out sounding like she had a lifelong smoking problem instead.

I walked back into the living room just in time to see some dinosaur chow down on the stereotypical bad guy. "That looks so not fun for him." I crashed down next to Donnie again and leaned into him.

"What did Irma want?" Donnie asked, taking a few seconds to decide if putting his arm around me was okay.

"She's just being nosey," I replied and took it upon myself to help Donnie make his decision by pulling his arm down over my shoulder.

"About what?" he sighed happily, a product of my nearness.

"Nothing," I answered and thankfully Donnie didn't push the subject.


End file.
